Apparatus and Method for Managing Access Among Devices

1. A computer implemented method for managing zone information for devices in a network, comprising: providing a zone table including entries indicating whether a plurality of devices are permitted to communicate and access each other over the network; providing an attributes table having attributes of the devices indicated in the zone table, wherein the attributes indicate initiator and/or target; determining attributes from the attributes table for devices indicated in the zone table entries as being permitted to communicate and access each other; determining from the attributes table whether the devices indicated in the zone table have the initiator and/or target attribute; verifying the entries in the zone table indicating that devices can communicate by determining whether the attributes for the devices indicated in the zone table as being permitted to communicate are consistent with the determined devices being able to communicate; and outputting information indicating whether the entries in the zone table indicating that devices can communicate are in error.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entries in the zone table indicate whether a first device can communicate with a second device for each of the devices represented in the zone table, and wherein the attributes in the attribute table indicate whether the devices indicated in the zone table are an initiator, a target or an initiator/target.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the entries in the zone table indicated as permitting communication from the first device to the second device are verified as valid if the attributes table indicates that the first device is an initiator and the second device is a target.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: determining, for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates that the first device and the second device are both initiators or both targets; and indicating an error in the output information for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates that the first device and the second device for the entries are both initiators or both targets.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: determining, for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target, (3) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (4) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target; and indicating a permission proposal in the output information indicating that access between two devices is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target, (3) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (4) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: determining, for entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, and (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target; indicating a first permission proposal in the output information indicating that access is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, and (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target; determining, for entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (2) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target; and indicating a second permission proposal in the output information indicating that access is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (2) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first permission proposal indicates that access between the devices is permitted with higher priority than the second permission proposal.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving resetting information to correct validity errors indicated in the output information; and updating the zone table with the resetting information to correct the validity errors.

9. A system for managing zone information for devices in a network, comprising: a processor; and a zone manager module executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: providing a zone table including entries indicating whether a plurality of devices in at least one zone are permitted to communicate and access each other over the network; providing an attributes table having attributes of the devices indicated in the zone table, wherein the attributes indicate initiator and/or target; determining attributes from the attributes table for devices indicated in the zone table entries as being permitted to communicate and access each other; determining from the attributes table whether the devices indicated in the zone table have the initiator and/or target attribute; verifying the entries in the zone table indicating that devices can communicate by determining whether the attributes for the devices indicated in the zone table as being permitted to communicate are consistent with the determined devices being able to communicate; and outputting information indicating whether the entries in the zone table indicating that devices can communicate are in error.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the entries in the zone table indicate whether a first device can communicate with a second device for each of the devices represented in the zone table, and wherein the attributes in the attribute table indicate whether the devices indicated in the zone table are an initiator, a target or an initiator/target.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the entries in the zone table indicated as permitting communication from the first device to the second device are verified as valid if the attributes table indicates that the first device is an initiator and the second device is a target.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates that the first device and the second device are both initiators or both targets; and indicating an error in the output information for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates that the first device and the second device for the entries are both initiators or both targets.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target, (3) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (4) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target; and indicating a permission proposal in the output information indicating that access between two devices is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target, (3) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (4) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, for entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, and (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target; indicating a first permission proposal in the output information indicating that access is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, and (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target; determining, for entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (2) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target; and indicating a second permission proposal in the output information indicating that access is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (2) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first permission proposal indicates that access between the devices is permitted with higher priority than the second permission proposal.

16. The system of claim 9 , further comprising: receiving resetting information to correct validity errors indicated in the output information; and updating the zone table with the resetting information to correct the validity errors.

17. A computer storage device including a zone manager module executed in a server system to manage zone information for devices in a network, comprising: providing a zone table including entries indicating whether a plurality of devices are permitted to communicate and access each other over the network; providing an attributes table having attributes of the devices indicated in the zone table, wherein the attributes indicate initiator and/or target; determining attributes from the attributes table for devices indicated in the zone table entries as being permitted to communicate and access each other; determining from the attributes table whether the devices indicated in the zone table have the initiator and/or target attribute; verifying the entries in the zone table indicating that devices can communicate by determining whether the attributes for the devices indicated in the zone table as being permitted to communicate are consistent with the determined devices being able to communicate; and outputting information indicating whether the entries in the zone table indicating that devices can communicate are in error.

18. The computer storage device of claim 17 , wherein the entries in the zone table indicate whether a first device can communicate with a second device for each of the devices represented in the zone table, and wherein the attributes in the attribute table indicate whether the devices indicated in the zone table are an initiator, a target or an initiator/target.

19. The computer storage device of claim 18 , wherein the entries in the zone table indicated as permitting communication from the first device to the second device are verified as valid if the attributes table indicates that the first device is an initiator and the second device is a target.

20. The computer storage device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates that the first device and the second device are both initiators or both targets; and indicating an error in the output information for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates that the first device and the second device for the entries are both initiators or both targets.

21. The computer storage device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, for the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target, (3) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (4) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target; and indicating a permission proposal in the output information indicating that access between two devices is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target, (3) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (4) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target.

22. The computer storage device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining, for entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, and (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target; indicating a first permission proposal in the output information indicating that access is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is a target and the second device is an initiator/target, and (2) that the first and second devices are the initiator/target; determining, for entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device, whether the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (2) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target; and indicating a second permission proposal in the output information indicating that access is permitted for the devices in the entries in the zone table indicating that communication is not permitted from the first device to the second device in response to determining that the attributes table indicates one of: (1) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the target, and (2) that the first device is the initiator and the second device is the initiator/target.

23. The computer storage device of claim 22 , wherein the first permission proposal indicates that access between the devices is permitted with higher priority than the second permission proposal.

24. The computer storage device of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving resetting information to correct validity errors indicated in the output information; and updating the zone table with the resetting information to correct the validity errors.